Committee members' biographies

Chairperson

Dr Sue-Anne Wallace — BPharm, BA (Hons), PhD, Grad Cert Mgt, Adv Dipl Arts, MFIA, FAICD

Sue-Anne has been a member of the Code Committee since 2004, and was a co-deputy chair of the committee in 2009. She was CEO of Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) for five years in which role she drove the project to overhaul FIA’s principles and standards of fundraising practice. From 2006–2009 she was the international representative on a North American fundraising ethics committee. Sue-Anne’s experience as a director in the non-profit sector includes the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations, Volunteering NSW and High Resolves Initiative, executive board positions with Museums Australia Inc (Chairman), International Council of Museums Australian National Committee (Vice-Chairman) and Flying Arts Queensland (President). She has held ministerial appointments to Arts Queensland and the National Trust of Queensland and federal bodies including the Australian Cultural Heritage Forum, National Collections Council and the Australian Cultural Network.

Deputy Chairperson

Greg Brown — Bachelor of Business, Graduate Diploma of Financial Management , Graduate Diploma in Management, Master of Economics 

Greg Brown is Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of CARE Australia. He is also responsible for human resources, business support and information communication technology. Greg is responsible for financial management across CARE Australia’s network of country offices, and in that capacity he has travelled to a number of country offices and project sites. This hands-on experience has enabled Greg to develop a good understanding and awareness of aid and development issues. Greg is a qualified certified practising accountant and a fellow of CPA Australia. He has held senior positions in the Commonwealth public sector, including Director Corporate Services and Chief Finance Officer at the Australian Film Commission, and Chief Financial Officer at the Federal Court of Australia. From an organisational perspective, Greg has significant experience in risk management, fraud control, governance and strategic planning.

Committee members

John Gilmore

John Gilmore is the Executive Director for Churches of Christ Global Mission Partners (GMP). He has been in this position for almost 3 years. Prior to that John held a senior leadership role in Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania. GMP is a national agency that includes the program of Churches of Christ Overseas Aid (COCOA). Projects are implemented through partnerships in Zimbabwe, Sudan, India, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Vietnam. John is also a member of the governing body of the National Council of Churches in Australia Act 4 Peace, and had been involved with Act 4 Peace for 15 years and has held various roles on its commission. He has also served on other international boards and agencies.

Bandula Gonsalkorale – MBA (AGSM), CPA

Bandula has been working in the international development sector for over 8 years and is currently the Finance and IT Director, and Company Secretary at ChildFund Australia. Before that he was the Chief Financial Officer at Austcare (now Actionaid Australia). Prior to joining the international development sector, Bandula held various senior financial management positions in several large and medium commercial organisations, having started his career in a chartered accounting firm. Bandula completed a fulltime Master of Business Administration degree at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) and the UNSW and is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA). He has also been a fellow member of two accountancy bodies in the UK and undertaken studies in Information Technology.

Suzanne Hayes

Suzanne is the Program Coordinator and Business Manager for the Archbishop of Sydney’s Overseas Relief and Aid Fund (ORAF). Her aid and development experience covers both managing contractors (in Australia and UK), more recently NGO’s. In the last few years she has been involved in developing new policies on governance, child protection and relationships with overseas partners. In a personal capacity, Suzanne has been on the Policy Review Group for Christian Community Aid (Eastwood) for the past two years reviewing the family day child-care policies as the organisation prepared for accreditation. Most of Suzanne’s work has been involved in finances in the form of budgeting, monitoring budgets, payment approvals, invoice preparation and financial reporting. Her role as Business Manager has exposed her to many of the taxation and legal issues facing NGO’s and charities operating in Australia. At ORAF,  Suzanne has not only been responsible for compliance to the Code of Conduct, she has also ensured that staff and service providers were made aware of the relevant sections of the Code and encouraged promotion of the Code in ORAF’s marketing and fundraising material.

Harwood Lockton — Teacher’s Cert, BSc (Hons), MA, MDevSt

Harwood is the director of the International Program at ADRA Australia (the Adventist Development and Relief Agency). He has a background in higher education teaching, particularly in the area of international development. He has had an association with ADRA since 1990 running overseas development study tours for undergraduates and developing an undergraduate program in international development studies in collaboration with ADRA. He has had extensive experience in academic accreditation processes and has been an auditor for the Australian Universities Quality Agency.
 

Beth Sywulsky, BA (UBC), Masters International & Community Development (Deakin)

Beth Sywulsky has had 20 years of management experience beginning in Canada in post-secondary education, then emigrating and continuing her employment within the tertiary education sector in Australia. Her career has involved change management roles through times of considerable adjustment within tertiary education and with varied institutions. In 2002, Beth committed to a life change with her family when she participated as a volunteer in Bougainville, PNG, experiencing the developing world as a resident for two years. Beth’s roles have more broadly involved project management, including working within Indigenous communities in the Central Desert area, and management of human resources including mentoring and supporting young women. Beth currently works with Australian Business Volunteers managing government and private sector contracts within the Asia Pacific region.

Donor representative

Dr Simon Smith — B.Juris LL.M, PhD (Legal history)

Dr Simon Smith is a lawyer and historian. In a professional life spanning three decades he has worked as a community legal centre lawyer, university teacher, ombudsman, senior insurance executive and insurance archivist. He has been a pioneer in all those arenas. He is a former Vice President and current councillor of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Simon is the author of numerous articles in the fields of consumer protection, legal practice and alternate dispute resolution.
 

Specialist appointments

Accounting specialist

Julie-Anne Mee — MAdmin, BBus, FCPA, JP (Qual)

Julie-Anne is a qualified accountant who has held senior operational positions in commerce and the public sector over the last 25 years. In mid 2006, Julie-Anne commenced working with the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (CPNS) on a part-time basis in the rollout of the Standard Chart of Accounts project, initially in Queensland and throughout other jurisdictions within Australia. Other work includes writing and presentation of accounting related units for CPA Australia, teaching and unit development of financial accounting standards at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and assisting in the co-ordination and delivery of the work experience unit within the School of Accountancy. Julie-Anne is a council member of the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) and is the chair of the USC Audit and Risk Management Committee. In the local Stanley Rivers (Woodford) community, Julie-Anne works within the community including being the part-time Treasurer and Parish Secretary/Administrator for the Stanley River Catholic Church.